The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-24
Out Of the Frying Pan.
BY AGNES POWER.

BY AGNES POWER.
When Bently and 1 were first married
we lived at Bradham, large manufac.
turing town in Yorkshire. am thank
full to say we do not live there now; only
those who have had experience of that
place can imagine how horrible it is.
When Bently bought practice there
every one seemed to think that it would
be good thing, that it was a fine open
ing, and that we should get on well; and
In the end their conjecture, proved true,
though not at all in the way they i'm
agined.
Twas really very miserable at Bradham
for two years, for l could not get on with
the people, and Of course doctors wife
ought to be on good terms with every
body. The only person l cared for at all
was Lizzie Dacrcs. She and her mother
lived in little house near to us; they
we're not at all we'll off, and Lizzie did
china painting. She and l got very
friendly, and we spent good deal of
time together.
Just at first the practice seemed a good
one, and then it began steadily to fall off.
Whether it was that people did not like
BentIy, or thought him too young, can
not tell; but great many who had been
his predecessors patients never sent for
him at all, but employed some one else,
and he grew very melancoly over it.
had no fortune of my own, and he
had only what he earned, as he hid in
vested all his money in this affair, so that
if it failed it would be very black look
out for US.
1t was very unpleasant, and I was al
ways reproaching myself, for fancied it
was partly my fault. Every one used to
tell u.s. "the late mans wife" had made
bis practice for him.
used to sit and think and think what
Mrs. Moyon could have done, and how I
could possibly make Bently's practice!
, Iheard of doctors wife once who
gave supper and colored all the jellies
on the table with some pink stuff she
found in the surgery, and the next day
every one Vas SO violently i'll that her
husband could not 60 to bed for three
nights, but had to spend all his time
ninistering to his ex-gueSts.
knew that Mrs. Moxon used to give
swell dinner-parties, and l used to Won
der if she artfully poisoned the entrees,
and, if so, what she did it with.
One day Bently came in looking rath-
or less blue than usual.
''Madge," he said, II have got nice
new p. 4. 1--WE used to call the patients
P. T.'sl. and who do you think it is'"
could not guess, so at last he had to
tell me-Mr. Jerry Winterbottom, of
Barrowclough.
Dir. Jerry Winterbottom was enor-
mous!y rich, and influential, for besides
being a mill-owner he had great deal
of land and house property. l knew
him and his wife quite we'll by sight;
they were both very large, and people al
ways spoke of them as Ga fine couple
In appearance. at least, they were very i'm
posing. They had the biggest horses and
the tallest footmen in Brad:.am, and only
one child to leave everything to.
"Young Jerry" as he was always
called, was about twenty-four, and quite
different from his parents. He was small
and slight and delicate, with deep set
eyes that were never still, but always
glancing nervously about.
His father and mother were devoted to
him, but don't think they understood
him in the least; they were always trying
to make him as pretentious as themselves,
and push him forward, when all he
wanted was to be left in peace in the
background.
Hemight have been very happy, for he
loved books, music and painting, and
had money to indulge his tastes in all
three; but Mr.. Winterbottom did not
spprove of what he called 'artistic
trash, "and was always wanting to stir
Jerry up, and make him take an interest
in politics; he actually had an idea at
one time of making him stand for the
borough!
Mrs. Wintcrbottom was just as bad,
and the two used to badger and worry
that poor boy (all from mistaken notion
of what was good for him) till l think
they made him as unhappy as boy
could be. To crown all, they set their
hearts on his marrying Charlotte Por-
nit, the daughter of Mr.. Winterbottom'
partner. Charlotte was young woman
of the style called "dashing." with big
black eyes and loud voice. Young
Jerry hated her, and opposed his parents
to the limit of his feeble will; then he
gave in.
Just when they had wrung a promise
from him to propose to Charlotte, he fell
i'll of kind of intermittent fever, and
then it was they called in Bcntly. Though
Jerry was ill. he was not so bad rs to be
confined to the house altogether; some
times he had to stop in and lie on a sofa,
but sometimes he was strong enough to
20 out and walk about. Bently said he
was not to be worried or contradicted at
all, but must be allowed to do just what
he liked, and to amuse himself as much
as possible.
One day, my husband told me that
Mr.. and Mrs. Wintcrbottom were going
to call on me. l suppose I made rather
face, for he said, little sharply:
''Now do be careful what You say and
how you behave, they are the best pa
tients have; and please be amiable and
conciliatory even if they do patronize a
little"
was rs anxious to secure their good
will as he was, for 1 knew what an in
Guental onnection theirs was; so
determined when they came to put on
my prettiest manners.
The day after the announcement oi
their approaching visit was made, was
pouring wet, so wet that nobody
would have thought of going out. Liz
zie Eacres just ran in after lunch, ano
ua sut rossiDinU over tho fire fill